Fuel oil system for feeding a plurality of burners, including means for emptying unused oil



Sept. 13, 1949. LE ROY D. BISHOP 2,481,491

FUEL OIL SYSTEM FOR FEEDING A PLURALITY OF BURNERS INCLUDING MEANS FOREMPTYING UNUSED OIL Filed Dec. 30, 1942 OIL BURNER on. RETURN gvwwwfmLEROY B\SHOP Patented Sept. 13, 1949 FUEL OIL SYSTEM F RALITY OFBURNERS,

R FEEDING A PLU- INCLUDING MEANS FOR EMPTYING UNUSED Le Roy D. Bishop,

County, Pa., assignor Manheim Township, Lancaster to Armstrong CorkCompany, Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationDecember 30, 1942, Serial No. 470,651

4 Claims.

This invention relates to heating systems and, more particularly, to aglass furnace heating system in which two series of oil burners are usedalternately to heat the furnace and means are provided to evacuate orempty the series of oil burners not in use to obviate drooling of oiltherefrom.

In heating systems for glass furnaces, generally a series of oil burnersare provided on each side of the furnace and such series are firedalternately, the idle series being moved automatically out of firingposition. During idle periods of the complete firing cycle, the oil inthe idle series is free to drool on the furnace walkways and tocarbonize on the burner tips. This, obviously, renders it extremelydifficult to keep the furnace walkways clean and materially detractsfrom the efficient and economical operation of the heating system.Standard practice in the industry comprises blowing the oil in idleburners into the furnace by means of compressed air. This entails acomplicated pipe and valve arrangement which is extremely expensive inmaintenance and installation costs and which, as a matter of fact, isineffective for its intended purpose for oilis permitted to drool fromthe burner tips during idle periods after an extremely limited time inservice.

The chief object of my invention is t oprovide an oil-burning heatingsystem for glass furnaces including means to empty or remove unused oilfrom oil burners and their oil supply lines during idle periods of thecomplete firing cycle. An object of my invention is to provide anoil-burning heating system for glass furnaces in which suction means areprovided to remove unused oil from the oil burners and their oil supplylines in a direction opposite the direction of normal flow of the oil. Astill further object is to provide evacuating means for oil-burningheating systems adapted to withdraw unused oil from the oil burners andtheir oil supply lines during idle periods. A still further object is toprovide an oil burning heating system including a suction pump forremoving unused oil from a series of oil burners during idle periods ina direction opposite the direction of normal flow of the oil. Otherobjects of my invention will be apparent from the following description.

This invention relates to an oil-burning heating system for glassfurnaces comprising, in combination, a series of burners movable intofiring position, a second series of burners movable into firing positionalternately with the first series, an oil supply connected to bothseries of burners, means for rendering one of said series inactive,

and means for withdrawing oil from the inactive series in a directionopposite the direction of normal flow during its inactive period toprevent drooling of oil.

The attached drawing is a schematic view of an oil-burning heatingsystem for glass furnaces including the evacuating means of myinvention.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown an oilburning heating systemfor glass furnaces comprising two separate series 2 and 3 of oil burners4, each series being movable automatically into firing position andbeing operable alternately to heat the furnace. The various burners 4are illustrated diagrammatically since the structure per se of theburner forms no part of my invention. A main oil supply 5 supplies oilto a pump 5 which places the oil under pressure and supplies the oil byconduits or pipe lines 6 and I to the burners 4. Disposed within pipeline B are valves 8 each adapted to shut off the flow of oil to all ofthe burners 4 of a series; in pipe lines I there are disposed valves 9adapted to shut off the flow of oil to each individual burner 4 of aseries. Meter valves ID are disposed in pipe lines I and serve to meterthe amount of oil fed to each burner 4.

Air lines II and I2 are provided to supply each of the burners 4 ofseries 2 and 3 with compressed air from an air supply I3; Valves 14 areplaced in air line H and each is adapted to shut off the flow of air toall of the burners of a series; valves l5 are placed in air lines l2 toshut off the flow of air to each individual burner of a series. Metervalves it are also placed in the air lines l2 to meter the flow of airto each burner.

Connected to each pipe line I leading to the individual burners 4 abovevalves 9 is a pipe line I! connected to pipe lines l8 leading to arotary suction pump l9. Pump 19 is connected by pipe line 20 to the mainoil supply 5. Valves 2| are placed in line I8 and may be used to closeline [8; valves 22 are placed in lines I! and may be used to close suchlines individually.

To aid in a full understanding of my invention, I will describe themethod of operation of the system. It will be assumed that series 2 isin operation, that series 3 is idle and that the operating series ofburners is about to be alternated. Series 2 of burners 4 is shut .offautomatically and removed from firing position while at the same timeseries 3 of burners 4 is moved into firing position and ignited, oilflowing thereto in its normal direction from the main oil supply 5.While series 2 has been rendered idle it will be understood that .oilremains in the sequent use.

1 V V 3 supply line I and in the burners 4 and that such oil need beremoved to prevent drooling into the furnace. The valves in lines I! andline l8 leading to series 2 are opened, suction pump I9 is actuated andserves to withdraw oil from the burners 4 and the supply lines '1 intopipelines l1 and into pipe line 18 leading to the pump l9.

The pump l9 then returns the unused oil by pipe line 20 to the main oilsupply 5. The pump I9 may be operated only for a short portionof the.idle cycle but it may be desirable under some circumstances that it beoperated during the en tire idle cycle of the series since thisdefinitely.

vents drooling of unused oil on the walkwaysoi the furnaces andcarbonization of unused oil on the burner tipsof the various series ofburn-- ers. My invention prevents waste cf unused oil contained in thesupply lines andthe burners during theiridle cycle andnot only removessuch oil to prevent drooling but returns theunused oil to the main oilsupply thus assuring its sub- The device of my invention is economicalin initialcost and in operation and does not require skilled labor inits ,operation.

Itis quickly and readily placed in operation. and when in operationrequires little or no attention or maintenance. I

W hile Lhave described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of myinvention it will be understood my invention is, not limited theretosince it may be otherwise embodied Within the scope of the followingclaims. 1 I claiinf 7 1L ln an'oil burning heating system for glassfurnaces, the combination of a series of burners,

a second series of burners adapted to be'fir'ed alternately firstseries,an oil supply, conduits connecting the oil supply with both said seriesof burners, a pressure pump connected to.

said oil supply and said conduits for transferring oil from said-supplyto said burners through said conduits, means for discontinuing the flowof oil to one of said series of burners, and .a suction pump, connectedto said conduits adapted to Withdraw oil from said conduits and saiddiscontinued series of burners in a direction opposite the direction ofnormalflow during its nactive period to prevent drooling of oil from theburners.

,2. In an voil-burningheating system, the com- 7 bination of a series ofburners, anoilsupply,

conduits vconnectingthe oil supply with the various burners ofthe'series, a pressure pumpconnec'tedto saidoil supply andsaid conduitsfor r 4 transferring oil from said supply to said burners through saidconduits, means for discontinuing the flow of oil to a burner of saidseries, and a suction pump connected to said conduits adapted towithdraw oil from the conduits and'said discontinued ,burner in a,direction opposite the direction of normal flow toprevent drooling ofoil from the inactive burner.

V 3, In an oil-burning heating system for glass 10 furnaces, thecombination of a series of burners,

a second series of burners adapted to be fired alternately with'saidfirst series, an oil supply, wnduits conn cting the oil supply with bothseries of burners, a pressure pump connected to said cil'supplyand saidconduits for transferring oil from'said supply to said burners throughsaid conduits, ,valves in said conduits for stopping oil flow to saidseries of burners, and asucpump connected to said conduits, said suctionpump being actuatable to withdraw oil from said conduitsfindaseries ofburners ma di- 7 vInfection opposite the direction of. normal flow 7upon the stoppage pf oil flow to said series, an joilburningheatingsystem, thecombinationof an oil burner, an oil supply, a;supply 7 connecting the oil supplywith said burner, a pressure pumpconnected to said oil sup'plyand tc'saidsupply conduit for transferringoilifrcm said -supply to said burner through said supply ccnduiua valvefor closing saidsupply conduitian oii return conduit interconnected withsaid supply conduit and said burner, and a suction pump connected tosaid oil return conduit 'towithdraw oil from said burner and said supplyconduit, in a directioncppositethe direction of normal fiomBBon supplyconduit. i V q Y LEROY D. BISHOP;

1 I QREFERENCES CITED 7 V The followingreferences are of recordin thefiiefof this patent: r

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'1 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date a 525,569 I Germany May 26. 1931closing of the valve in the.

